Buyer's Guide for Beer Lovers

Ale

Ale’s What Cures Ya!

American Golden Ale

These brews are golden to light copper in color with a more subtle overall character and lighter body than typical pale ales. English ale fruitiness will probably not be observed. However, the most important qualification is that they are brewed domestically and will have less body and hop and malt character than a pale ale from the same brewery.

Interpreting the 100-point Scale

Consumers can translate the point score to the following quality bands:

Point Range Quality Band
96-100 points Platinum
90-95 points Gold
85-90 points Silver
80-84 points Bronze
Less than 80 Not Recommended
Legend
  • = Brewpub
  • ABV = Alcohol by volume
  • Date denotes the date on which the beer was tasted

89 Cascade Ale, Deschutes Brewery (OR). 4.5% ABV (2/09)
Brilliant pale amber color. Crème brûlée, dried mango and brioche aromas follow through on a smooth supple entry to a dry-yet-fruity medium body with poached pear and spiced nut notes. Finishes with a crisp, refreshing orange peel and tree bark hop accent. Very tasty.

88 Oregon Golden Ale, Rogue Ales (OR). 5.2% ABV (2/07)
Brilliant pale amber color. Fruity, nutty, toffee, crème caramel and mild earthy aromas. A round entry leads to smooth light-to-medium body of citrus and caramelized nut flavors with a tangy citrus and reedy hop fade.

85 Split Rock Golden Ale, Flying Goose (NH). 3.78% ABV (2/07)
Lightly hazy amber color. Toasty malt, citrus and caramel aromas. A round frothy entry leads to a dryish medium-bodied palate with sweet citrus and buttery toast flavors. Finishes with a crisp, bittering hops fade. Very tasty.

84 Classic Gold, Etna Brewing Co. (CA). 5.3% ABV (2/07)
Pale amber color. Fresh mud, wet grain and clay aromas follow through to a dry medium body with mild tangy hops and moss on the finish. Simple and refreshing with tons of earthiness.

83 Monumental Blonde Golden Ale, Bastone Brewery (MI). 5% ABV (2/09)
Brilliant light golden color. Aromas of earthy carrot, turnip and wet grain husk follow through on a round entry to a dryish light-to-medium body with grilled apple and orange notes. Finishes with an astringency veggie, mossy and tin-accented fade.

82 Emerald Isle Blonde Ale, Govnor’s Public House (IL). 4.78% ABV (2/08)
Lightly hazy pale amber color with a nice head. Dried fruit, caramel and baguette aromas. A brisk, frothy entry leads to a tangy medium body of bitter orange and apricot marmalade on rye toast flavors with a sharp, somewhat vegetal finish.

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